As the States Parties to the Biological Weapons Convention (BWC) near the completion of the
drafting of a legally binding instrument to strengthen the BWC, proposals for the structure and cost of
an international organization to implement the instrument will become an important part of the
negotiations. This paper presents a baseline structure and annual operating budget for a professional,
independent BWC organization that would be functionally effective and financially feasible, with a
staff of 233 people and an annual cost of approximately $30 M. Examples of alternate structures and
their costs are also given.
Originally, this paper was distributed to the BWC protocol
negotiators with an accompanying computer diskette containing an
Excel spreadsheet model. The spreadsheet has been translated into
an HTML file for display on this web site. The diskette is
available in a limited quantity from the FAS project office.
Development of the Spreadsheet Model: Key Assumptions
Variable Parameters in the Spreadsheet Model
The Baseline Organization
Table--Estimated Total Staff
Table--Annual Operating Costs for the Baseline Organization
Total Annual Costs for the Baseline Organization
Examples of Alternative Organizations
Some Observations and Trade-Offs
Notes and References